In which the steadfast young Charles Gould, heir to a troubled silver mine and burdened by the shadow of his father’s ruin, finds in his marriage to the astute and tender Emilia a source of strength and hope, as they together resolve to redeem the San Tome concession amid the restless and treacherous political soil of Costaguana. Their guarded optimism encounters the cold calculations of distant financial powers and the ever-present menace of a corrupt government, compelling Charles to harden his heart and prepare for the arduous struggle ahead, with no thought of retreat.